Aliou Cisse salutes Libya players and hopes for 3 points ahead of “strong Angola” clash

Libya head coach Aliou Cisse expressed confidence that his team can secure all three points when they face Angola in Luanda on Thursday at 4:00 PM GMT in the fourth round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers for the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Cisse also paid tribute to his players, who cut short their off-season breaks in order to join the national team. “I want to salute the players who had a very long season and sacrificed their holidays to represent their country. They showed great commitment by joining us with little rest, and we have worked very hard over the past ten days,” he said.

The Mediterranean Knights and Aliou Cisse will have to cope with several key absences. Star winger Hamdou Elhouni is sidelined with injury, midfielder Muaid Ellafi is unavailable after a car accident, veteran defender Mohamed El Monir is absent due to his son’s illness, goalkeeper Muad Al Mansouri is missing for personal reasons, while Mohamed Soula suffered an injury in training.

Despite these setbacks, Aliou Cisse struck an optimistic tone at the pre-match press conference:

“I am very happy to be here in Angola. We are in a phase of building the team, and this takes time. Our long-term target is qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, but the journey passes through matches like this. Our chances of reaching the World Cup are still alive, and we will fight until the last breath.”

Libya coach praised the progress of their opponents, noting Angola’s development in recent years. “Angola have a strong coach, quality players competing in Europe, and a good mentality. We saw in Benghazi how they equalized in the last minutes to draw 1-1 against us. That shows their strength,” Cisse commented.

The former Senegal coach added that Libya have been preparing with a clear tactical plan:

“We have been working for a week to ten days with a clear philosophy of play. We know Angola have improved a lot in the past four years, but we are ready to face them. We believe we can limit their danger and, God willing, win this match.”

Aliou Cisse emphasized once again the long-term project but stressed the importance of today’s encounter:

“Our main objective is to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. This is part of a long journey, but today we have great hope to play a very good match, take three points, and keep our World Cup dream alive.”

Group D Table (6 rounds played, 4 rounds remaining):

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